Hydroponics processes with high growth rates

ABSTRACT

A method for a hydroponics farm comprising a light source, a container filled with a liquid medium, a plate support positioned above the container comprising a foam support, wherein the foam support supports a plant at a stem portion. The foam support may comprise a small foam fitted in a larger foam. The foam supports may allow ease of transfer of the plants among a plurality of plate supports. The method may comprise exposing the plants to a light source based on characteristics of the plants, such as based on a total plant density, a young plant density and a mature plant density. The method may also comprise periodically raising the level of the liquid medium, spreading a plant density, and oscillating the plant to promote growth.

This patent application is continuation and claims priority from U.S.non-provisional patent application Ser. No. 14/722,135, filed on May 26,2015, which claims priority from U.S. provisional patent applicationSer. No. 62/002,912, filed on May 26, 2014, entitled “Hydroponicsprocesses with high growth rates”.

The present invention relates to hydroponics growing systems methods.

BACKGROUND

Hydroponics techniques can be used to raise vegetables and fruits.Hydroponics plants can grow from liquid medium, e.g., without anyrequirements for soil. The hydroponics plants can absorb water andnutrients through the plant roots from the nutrient solution in ahydroponics tank. Thus hydroponics systems can raise plants without anyagricultural pesticides, together with 3-D plant configuration ascompared to traditional soil farming.

It is desirable to provide a hydroponics system with improved yield andless consumable usages.

SUMMARY OF THE EMBODIMENTS

In some embodiments, provided are systems and methods for a hydroponicsfarm, which can potentially reduce consumables and improve productyield.

The hydroponics plants can be manually spread to avoid leaf overlap,allowing the plants to achieve maximum growth potential. The spreadingof plants can minimize the light intensity, reducing power consumptionand system weight. The spreading of plants can be facilitated by usingflexible foam supports for the hydroponics plants, which can allow easeof plant transfer.

The roots of the hydroponics plants can be exposed to air, includingoxygen and CO₂, which can provide nutrition and stimulate plant growth.Liquid nutrition can wet the tips of the roots of the hydroponicsplants, leaving other portions of the roots exposed to the ambient.Periodically, the level of the liquid nutrition can raise to completelywet the roots.

The roots of the hydroponics plants can move, e.g., swinging back andforth, which can promote plant growth. The swinging action can beprovided by periodically oscillating the liquid nutrition, such asdraining through a siphon mechanism.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A-1B illustrate hydroponics systems according to someembodiments.

FIGS. 2A-2B illustrate a germination process for plant seeds accordingto some embodiments.

FIGS. 3A-3C illustrate another germination process for plant seedsaccording to some embodiments.

FIGS. 4A-4B illustrate large sponge supports for plants according tosome embodiments.

FIGS. 5A-5C illustrate sponge supports for plants according to someembodiments.

FIG. 6 illustrates a flow chart for preparing a plant support accordingto some embodiments.

FIGS. 7A-7C illustrate a plant spreading operation according to someembodiments.

FIGS. 8A-8B illustrate flow charts for spreading plants according tosome embodiments.

FIGS. 9A-9C illustrate configurations for root exposure according tosome embodiments.

FIGS. 10A-10D illustrate cyclic operations of raising and loweringliquid levels according to some embodiments.

FIGS. 11A-11B illustrate flow charts for periodically exposing the plantroots according to some embodiments.

FIG. 12 illustrates a hydroponics system having multiple verticalshelves according to some embodiments.

FIG. 13 illustrates a flow chart for liquid flow in a vertical stackedhydroponics system according to some embodiments.

FIGS. 14A-14C illustrate hydroponics configurations for swinging plantroots according to some embodiments.

FIGS. 15A-15C illustrate flow charts for hydroponics roots swingingaccording to some embodiments.

FIG. 16 illustrates a hydroponics system having multiple verticalshelves according to some embodiments.

FIG. 17 illustrates a vertical structure of a hydroponics unit accordingto some embodiments.

FIG. 18 illustrates a diagram showing the control of the valves in thehydroponics unit according to some embodiments.

FIG. 19 illustrates a configuration for plant replacement according tosome embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

In some embodiments, the present invention discloses hydroponics systemsand methods to produce plants in a short time, including vegetable suchas lettuce, using small amount of water and small amount of light.

In some embodiments, the present invention discloses methods and systemsfor growing hydroponics plants with improved yield and less capitalcosts and consumable. Flexible foam supports can be used to support thehydroponics plants, allowing ease of transferring of the hydroponicsplants. With the plants transferable, plant spreading can be easilyperformed, leading to faster growth with less consumables such as lowerlight intensity. The hydroponics plants can have a portion of the rootsexposed to the ambient, for example, to air and CO₂, to promote plantgrowth. The tips of the roots can be dipped in the liquid, for example,for supply liquid nutrition to the plants. The low levels of the liquidnutrition, e.g., only enough to wet the tips of the plant roots, canlower the consumption of water. Low water usage and low light intensitycan lower the weight of the plant support structure, allowing highstacking of hydroponics plant shelves for low foot print. In addition,the plant roots can periodically swing, for example, by creating waterwaves at the root tips. The swinging of the root tips can stimulate thegrowth of the plants, which can shorten the plant maturity time andimprove plant yield.

For example, by cycling a water supply level so that water canalternatively wet (e.g., high water level) and expose a portion of theroots to outside air (e.g., low water level), small amount of water canbe used in the hydroponics system. The allocation of high and low waterlevels can be programmed to minimize the total weight of the hydroponicsshelves, for example, one shelf having high water level and all othershelves having low water level. In some embodiments, the term “water”can include water without nutrients and water with nutrients such asdissolving fertilizers or mineral elements. By spreading the plants soallow minimum overlap of plant leaves, small amount of light can be usedin the hydroponics system.

Basic elements of hydroponics systems can include a reservoir filledwith a nutrient solution and a container as a growing medium for theplants. The nutrient solution can be supplied to the container, and theplant roots can absorb the nutrient solution and use it in the growingprocess of the plant. For example, the plants can require carbondioxide, water, light, and mineral elements to grow. The mineralelements can be included in the nutrient solution, which can be absorbedby the plant through its roots. The growth of the plants can be directlyrelated to the amount of light, water and carbon dioxide, together withthe absorption of mineral nutrient by the plant's roots. The mineralnutrients in the liquid solution can include nitrogen, phosphorus,potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, silicon, boron, copper, iron,chloride, manganese, molybdenum, sodium, selenium, nickel, zinc, or anycombination thereof.

FIGS. 1A-1B illustrate hydroponics systems according to someembodiments. In FIG. 1A, a hydroponics system 100 can include acontainer 160 partially filled with liquid, e.g., water 140, anddissolved nutrients. Hydroponics plants 110 can be supported by supportelements 130 in a support structure 120. The hydroponics plants 110 canreceive nutrients from liquid 140, together with light from light source150.

FIG. 1B shows a vertical hydroponics system 105 having multiplehydroponics shelves. Each shelf can include a container partially filledwith liquid 140 and dissolved nutrients. Hydroponics plants 110 can besupported by support elements 130 in a support structure 120. Thehydroponics plants 110 can receive nutrients from liquid 140, togetherwith light from light source 150. Liquid 140 can travel from top shelfto bottom shelf, for example, by gravity.

In some embodiments, the present invention discloses improvedhydroponics methods and systems. Hydroponics is a method of growingplants using a liquid growing medium, in place of soil, in which plantnutrients are dissolved. The roots of the plants absorb nutrients in theliquid medium to grow. Supports for the plants can be included to holdthe plants upright.

In some embodiments, the present invention discloses supports for thehydroponics plants that can allow rapid plant growth. The supports caninclude flexible foam or sponge that hold the stems of the plants. Theflexible foam or sponge can hold liquid for maintaining plant wetting.The flexible foam or sponge can allow movements of the plant roots, forexample, due to the waves or movements of the liquid medium. Themovements of the plant roots can stimulate the plant growth. Theflexible foam or sponge can allow ease of plant transfer, for example,for spreading the plants to reduce the plant density for faster plantgrowth.

In some embodiments, the plant seeds can be germinated in small spongesupports. After the seeds are germinated, the small sponge supports,together with the small plants, can be transferred to larger spongesupports. The larger sponge supports can support the plants at the stemportions, allowing ease of transfer and swinging of plant roots.

FIGS. 2A-2B illustrate a germination process for plant seeds accordingto some embodiments. A small flexible foam or sponge 210 can have a cut220 in a top surface. A plant seed 230 can be placed in the pocketformed by the cut 220. The sponge 210 can be between 0.5 to 1 cm heightand between 1 to 2 cm in width. Other dimensions can be used, forexample, to accommodate different seed sizes.

FIGS. 3A-3C illustrate another germination process for plant seedsaccording to some embodiments. A sheet 300 of multiple sponge supports310 can be used to hold plant seeds 330. The sponge sheet 300 can beplaced in a liquid medium 340, for example, a water bath havingdissolved nutrients. After a few days, the seeds can germinate to becomesmall plants 335. Some plants can be weak, and can be removed. Strongplants, e.g., longer roots and/or showing vigorous vitality, can bemoved to larger sponge supports.

FIGS. 4A-4B illustrate large sponge supports for plants according tosome embodiments. A sponge support 410 can have cuts or slits 420. Thecuts can be configured to accept a small sponge having the germinatedseed plant. The sponge 410 can be between 2 to 41 cm height and between2 to 4 cm in width. Other dimensions can be used, for example, toaccommodate different small sponge sizes.

FIGS. 5A-5C illustrate sponge supports for plants according to someembodiments. A small sponge 520 with a germinated seed plant 530 can beplaced inside a large sponge 510. The large sponge 510 can be cut in away to facilitate the insertion of the small sponge, for example, with aslit at a side and cross cuts at the center (see FIGS. 4A and 4B). Sincethe small sponge 520 and the large sponge 510 are flexible, e.g.,compressible, the small sponge 520 can be inserted within the largesponge. Other materials can be used for the sponge supports 510 and 520,as long as these supports are compressible for ease of being combined.After being combined, the germinated plant 530 can be supported by thesponge support 510/520.

The sponge support 510/520 can provide a support to the stem of theplant 530, and can act as an anchor to facilitate the movements of theplant roots. The root movements at the stem portion of the plants canlead to movements of the stem, which can enhance the plant growth. Otherstem supports can be used, which can hold the stem portion of the plantsto allow movement of the roots and/or the stem. The sponge support510/520 can also facilitate the transfer of the plants, for example, byallowing a person to hold the sponge support to move the plant, e.g.,leaves, roots, and all other parts of the plants, to differentlocations.

After moving the germinated plant 530 to the large sponge support 510,the plant 530 and the supports (e.g., 510 and 520) can be placed in aplate support 550. The plate support can be made of solid materials,such as plastic or hard foam such as polystyrene foam. The plate support550 can have multiple holes 555, which can accept the sponge support510/520. The hole 555 can be smaller than the sponge support 510/520 inorder to provide pressure to the sponge support for holding the spongesupport in place. For example, the sponge support 510/520 can have asquare cross section, and the hole 555 can have a circular crosssection. The sponge support 510/520 can be compressed, e.g., squeezed,to fit into the hole 555. Other cross sections can be used, as long asthe cross section of the hole is smaller than that of the spongesupport. Further, the sponge support can be made of compressiblematerials, such as sponge or flexible foam, which can allow the spongesupport to be squeezed into a smaller opening.

The thickness of the plate support can be smaller than the height of thesponge support, so that at least a portion of the sponge support canprotrude from the plate support. The sponge support can protrude fromthe plate support at the root side.

FIG. 6 illustrates a flow chart for preparing a plant support accordingto some embodiments. The plant supports can protect the stem and aportion of the roots from being dried, for example, by having a waterretention material such as a porous materials such as sponge or flexiblefoam. The plant supports can provide a handle for ease of planttransfer, for example, by holding the plant support, the plant can bemoved to different places without root or leaf damaging. The plantsupports can allow the roots and stem to swing, for example, byproviding a handle support at the stem portion of the plant.

In operation 600, a first foam piece is prepared. The first foam piececan be a flexible, porous, or compressible material, such as a flexibleporous foam or a sponge. The first foam piece can retain water. Thefirst foam piece can have a slit on a top surface. A plant seed can beplaced in the slit of the first foam piece. In some embodiments, a foamsheet can be prepared having multiple separation cuts to form multiplefirst foam pieces. The foam sheet can also have multiple cuts in eachfoam piece. Multiple seeds can be placed to the foam sheet, with eachseed in a cut pocket of a foam piece.

The use of foam pieces can allow a better germinated plant selection,since each seed can be germinated into a separate plant. The germinatedplant selection can be based on each seed capability to be germinatedinto a healthy plant. The foam piece use can have advantages over priorart seed selections in which multiple seeds, e.g., 3 seeds, can begerminated in a same place followed by the termination of weakergerminated plants. The prior art selection can be wasteful, for example,by the termination of multiple perfectly healthy plants, in order topreserve the best plant.

In operation 610, the seeds in the foam pieces, such as the foam sheet,are germinated. For example, the foam sheet can be placed in a firstliquid bath, such as a water bath. Nutrient elements can be added to theliquid bath. The liquid bath can be placed under appropriate conditionsfor seed germination, such as temperature, humidity and light.

After the seeds are germinated, the healthy plants can be selected tothe next step while the weak plants can be removed. The selection can bebased on the appearance of the plants, the length of the roots, thenumber of leaves, or the size of the leaves.

In operation 620, the selected plants can be transferred to second foampieces. To avoid damaging to the plants, the first foam pieces are movedtogether with the plants. The first foam pieces can be placed inside thesecond foam pieces, which are larger than the first foam pieces. In someembodiments, a first foam piece is separated from a first foam sheet,for example, at the separation cuts. A second foam piece can beseparated from a second foam sheet, prepared similar to the first foamsheet. The second foam piece can be open, and the first foam piece canbe squeezed into the second foam piece.

In operation 630, the second foam piece, e.g., including the plant andthe first foam piece, can be inserted in a hole in a plate support. Thesecond foam piece can be squeezed to fit into the hole, for example, toensure a press fit. The density of the holes in the plate support can beadequate for the germinated plants, e.g., a high density of between 4and 900 cm⁻², or between 4 and 100 cm⁻², e.g., a lateral separation ofthe holes can be between 2 and 30 cm, or between 2 and 10 cm.

In operation 640, the plate support can be a solid plate, which can beplaced over a hydroponics liquid medium such as on a hydroponicscontainer. With light, water and nutrients, the plants can grow in ahydroponics process.

In some embodiments, the present invention discloses hydroponics systemsand methods that include spreading the plants as they grow to minimizeleaf overlap. The plant density of the hydroponics systems can bereduced as the plants grow, for example, to allow rooms for the plantsto grow. The leaf density of the hydroponics systems can be somewhatconstant, e.g., as the plants grow, the leaves of the plants becomelarger and require more room to spread. By keeping a leaf densityconstant, the plants can receive adequate room to grow and light forphotosynthesis, e.g., the leaves are not crowded and shaded each other.

In some embodiments, the plant supports can ease the transfer of theplants. For example, by supporting a portion of the stem, the plants canbe handle without or with minimum damage to the roots or the leaves. Asponge support can be allow the removal and insertion of the spongesupport to the plate support, for example, by press fit.

In some embodiments, the spreading of the plants can be performedmanually, e.g., by an operator who manually removes the plants from oneplate support and then transfers the plants to another plate supportwith reduced density. The spreading of the plants can allow the plantsto achieve maximum growth potential. The spreading of plants can alsominimize the light intensity, reducing power consumption and systemweight.

In some embodiments, the plant density can be reduced during themovements along the shelves. The plant density can be determined by aminimal leaf overlap. For example, young plants can have smaller leaves,thus a high plant density, such as 1 plant per 10 cm² or 1 plant per 20cm², can be achieved. Mature plants can have larger leaves, thus a lowerplant density, such as 1 plant per 100 cm² or 1 plant per 200 cm², canbe used.

In some embodiments, the amount of the light source can be at 10,000 luxor less. The present hydroponics system can use a low light intensitywith high plant yield. The low light intensity can reduce powerconsumption, and can reduce the weight of the light source. With theaddition of sunlight, lower light intensity can be used.

In some embodiments, the spreading density can be selected to retain theplant yield per cultivation area. The spreading of plants can allowfaster plant grow, which can improve the yield of plant harvested. Thus,even though the plants are spread over a larger area, the harvest yieldper unit area can remain substantially the same, allowing a reduction inconsumable consumption per weight of plants.

FIGS. 7A-7C illustrate a plant spreading operation according to someembodiments. In FIG. 7A, the plants 730 can be first transferred to theplate support 710. For example, the plants can be the germinated plantsthat have been transferred from small sponge supports to large spongesupports. The large sponge supports can be squeezed into the holes 720in the plate support 710. The hole density of the plate support 710 canbe high, for example, so that the leaves of the germinated plants 730have a small separation. For example, a germinated plant can have leafsize of about 1 to 2 cm, so the hole separation in the plate support canbe about 2 to 5 cm, or a plant or hole density of about 4 to 25 cm⁻².After the plants grow to a larger size, e.g., when the leaves start tooverlap, the plants can be spread out to a larger area.

In FIG. 7B, the plants 740 can be spread so that the leaves do notoverlap. The plants can be handled by the sponge supports 720 at thestem of the plants when transfer. In FIG. 7C, the plants 750 can befurther spread.

In some embodiments, the plants can be moved along the shelf. Forexample, early plants can be placed on the left side of the shelf, andgradually moved to the right. The movement of the plants can facilitateshipping, since the mature plants can be ready from one side of theshelves.

FIGS. 8A-8B illustrate flow charts for spreading plants according tosome embodiments. The plant spreading can reduce the light intensity,leading to lower power consumption. The plant spreading can enhance theplant growth, due to less space competition of the plant leaves. Theamount of the spreading of the plants can be selected to maximize theplant yield. For example, to maximize a plant yield without spaceconcern, the plants can be spread out as much as possible, for example,to achieve the maximum growth rate of the plants. To maximize a plantyield per unit cultivation area, the plants can be spread out as long asthe growth rate exceeds the additional required space, e.g., to achievea balance between the growth rate of the plants and the floor spacerequired.

In FIG. 8A, operation 800 spreads out the plants. The criterion forspreading the plants can be based on the minimization of leaf overlap,or can be based on a balance between plant growth and required space.Operation 810 reduces the light intensity to suit the new plantconfiguration. The light intensity reduction is in relation to theoriginal plant configuration, e.g., the configuration of plants withoutthe spreading. In some embodiments, after the plants grow and cause leafoverlap, high light intensity can be required to sustain a plant growth.By spreading the plants, the light intensity can remain the same. Thespreading of plants can reduce the power consumption while stillmaintaining a fast plant growth.

In FIG. 8B, operation 830 configures the plants in a firstconfiguration. For example, after germinating the seeds, the germinatedplants can be placed in a plate support with a dense configuration, suchas the plants close to each other without leaf overlap. Operation 840moves the plants to a second configuration that has lower plant densitythan the first configuration. The second configuration can be aconfiguration that minimize leaf overlap. The second configuration canbe a configuration that maximize a plant yield per unit area, e.g., abalance between the faster growth rate due to low plant density and thelow per-unit-area yield due to the additional space required forspreading the plants. Operation 840 repeats the plant movements, movingthe plants to a third configuration that has lower plant density thanthe second configuration.

In some embodiments, the present invention discloses hydroponics systemsand methods that include exposing a portion of the roots of the plantsto an air ambient. The exposed portion of the roots can be periodicallywetted.

In some embodiments, when a portion of the roots of the plant areexposed to air, the tips of the roots can contact the water. The waterlevel can be fixed, e.g., a constant portion of the roots is exposed.The water level can be adjusted, e.g., only the root tips are wet withthe longer exposed portion of roots for longer roots.

In some embodiments, the time for exposing the plant roots can be 10× to25× the time for wetting the plant roots. For example, the wetting timecan be 2-5 minutes, and the root exposing time can be 20-125 minutes,such as 20-100 minutes or 40 to 60 minutes.

In some embodiments, the tips of the plant roots can be dipped in theliquid medium, leaving the roots portion from the tips to the stemexposed to air ambient. The exposed roots can absorb oxygen and CO₂,causing the plant to grow faster. For example, air roots, e.g., roots ofthe plant that are exposed to air, can grow out of the plant seeking airabove the liquid medium. By exposing a portion of the plant roots, thiscan simulate the air root behavior, which can significantly enhanceplant growth. The exposed root portion can also be periodically wettedto prevent root drying and to obtain liquid nutrients. The exposure of aportion of the roots can increase absorption of oxygen and/or CO₂ in theplant roots, together with providing movements of the plant roots tostimulate the plant growth, such as facilitating a substantial increasein the rate of plant growth.

FIGS. 9A-9C illustrate configurations for root exposure according tosome embodiments. In FIG. 9A, plants 910 can be supported by a platesupport 920. To prevent or minimize evaporation of the liquid medium,there can be minimum gap between the plate support 920 and the containercontaining the liquid medium 940. The tips of the roots 915 of theplants 910 can be dipped in the liquid medium 940, leaving a portion 950of the roots exposed to the air ambient. The plants 910 can be supportedat the stem, for example, by the sponge supports, that are inserted intoholes in the plate support 920. The air ambient can include oxygen andCO₂.

In FIG. 9B, a fan 960 can be used to bring fresh air to the exposedroots. Since the air ambient between the plate support 920 and theliquid medium 940 can be somewhat isolated from the outside ambient,oxygen and CO₂ can be depleted due to the absorption from the plantroots. Thus fresh air can be provided to the exposed roots from theoutside ambient, for example, through the fan 960. The fan operation canbe intermittent, for example, serving to exchange the air at the exposedroots.

In FIG. 9C, drip lines 970 can be provided to wet the stems and theexposed roots of the plants. Since the exposed roots are exposed to air,the roots and stems can be dried. Thus a liquid supply can be provided,for example, in the form of drip lines 970, to wet the exposed roots.The drip lines operation can be intermittent, for example, serving towet the roots without interfering with the ability of the exposed rootsto absorb nutrients from the air ambient.

In some embodiments, the alternation of root wetting and root exposingto air can be performed by raising and lowering the liquid levels,respectively. The liquid level can be adjusted, for example, tocyclically expose and wet the plant roots. For example, the liquid canbe at a low level state, exposing a portion of the roots and wetting atip of the roots. The liquid can be at a high level state, wetting theroots, up to the stem of the plants. The difference in liquid levels canbe between 5 and 20 cm, such as between 10 and 15 cm. The alternatinghigh and low liquid levels can exchange the air at the exposed rootportion, allowing the exposed roots to be exposed to fresh air. The timefor high liquid level can be between 10 and 25 the time for low liquidlevel. For example, the liquid can rise for 2-4 minutes, and then lowerfor 20-100 minutes, such as 40 to 60 minutes.

FIGS. 10A-10D illustrate cyclic operations of raising and loweringliquid levels according to some embodiments. In FIG. 10A, a hydroponicscontainer 1013 can contain hydroponics liquid, such as water withdissolved nutrients. A plate support 1011 can be disposed on thecontainer. Plants can be disposed in the plate support, for example,through the sponge supports as discussed above. In high liquid level1014, the liquid can rise close to the plate support 1011, submergingand wetting almost all the roots 1006 of the plant. In low liquid level1015, the liquid can lower close to the bottom of the container 1013,wetting only the tips of the roots 1006 of the plant, leaving a largeportion of the roots exposed to air ambient. The difference between thehigh and low liquid levels can be between 5 and 20 cm, such as between10 and 15 cm. The time for high liquid level can be between 10 and 25the time for low liquid level. For example, the liquid can rise for 2-4minutes, and then lower for 20-100 minutes, such as 40 to 60 minutes.

FIGS. 10B-10D show a sequence of changing liquid levels through liquidflowing to the container. A hydroponics container 1060 can containhydroponics liquid, such as water with dissolved nutrients. A platesupport 1020 can be disposed on the container. Plants 1010 can bedisposed in the plate support, for example, through the sponge supports1030. In FIG. 10B, the liquid can be drain out of the container, toobtain a low liquid level 1040. The low liquid level can allow theexposure of a portion of roots, together with wetting the tips of theroots. In FIG. 10C, the liquid can flow to the container, to obtain ahigh liquid level 1045. The high liquid level can wet the exposedportion of the roots. In some embodiments, the high liquid level canalso wet the plant stems, for example, through the sponge support 1030.The wetting of the sponge support 1030 can hold the liquid so that thestem will not be dried out during the low liquid level phase. The changein the liquid level can be repeated. For example, in FIG. 10D, theliquid can be drain out of the container, to obtain a low liquid level1040.

FIGS. 11A-11B illustrate flow charts for periodically exposing the plantroots according to some embodiments. In FIG. 11A, a cyclic changing ofliquid levels can be performed to stimulate the plant growth byalternating wetting and exposing the plant roots. Operation 1100 lowersa liquid level, e.g., the hydroponics liquid that is used to providenutrients to the plants. The liquid level is lowered to expose a portionof the plant roots, while still maintaining a wetting of the tips of theplant roots. Operation 1110 raises the liquid level to wet the exposedroots. The liquid level can be repeatedly lowered and raised. Thedifference in liquid levels can be between 5 and 20 cm, such as between10 and 15 cm. The time for high liquid level can be between 10 and 25the time for low liquid level. For example, the liquid can rise for 2-4minutes, and then lower for 20-100 minutes, such as 40 to 60 minutes.

In some embodiments, the liquid level can be lowered to a fixed level.In this case, the tips of the roots might not be wetted, for example,when the plant is young and the roots are not long enough. When theplants are growing, the roots can be longer, and can reach the lowerlevel of the liquid. The tip portion of the roots in the liquid can belonger when the roots grow. The exposure portion of the roots can beconstant, e.g., the portion of the roots between the lower and upperlevels of the liquid. In some embodiments, the fixed lower level of theliquid can be used for mixed plants, e.g., plants with differentmaturity levels. For example, a germinated plant can have a short rootlength. A mid-term plant can have medium root length. And a mature plantcan have a long root length. A fixed lower liquid level can accommodateall types of plants with a constant exposure root length.

In some embodiments, the liquid level can be lowered to differentlevels. The low liquid level can be configured to wet the tips of theplant roots. For example, for young plants such as germinated plants,the low liquid level can be close to the high liquid level, in order towet the tips of the roots. For mid-term plants, the low liquid level canbe lower since the plant roots can be longer.

In FIG. 11B, operation 1130 exposes a portion of the plant roots for afirst period. The tips of the plant roots can be wetted during theexposure. Operation 1140 wets the exposed roots for a second period. Thefirst period can be 10-25 longer than the second period. Operation 1150stores liquid to the stem portion of the roots, for example, by wettingthe sponge supports. Operation 1160 exchanges the air at the exposedroots area, so that fresh air can replace the spent air, e.g., air thatoxygen and CO₂ have been absorbed by the exposed roots.

The changing of the liquid levels can be accomplished by draining (toget the low liquid level), and by flowing liquid (to get the high liquidlevel), for example, by a liquid pump. Further, multiple shelves ofhydroponics containers can utilize gravity for liquid flowing.

FIG. 12 illustrates a hydroponics system having multiple verticalshelves according to some embodiments. Multiple shelves can be stackedin a vertical direction, for example, with one shelf on top of anothershelf. The drain conduit of a higher shelf can be coupled to the supplyconduit of a lower shelf through a valve. When the valve is open, theliquid from the top shelf can be drained to the bottom shelf. When thevalve is close, the liquid in the shelves are isolated from each other.

For example, all valves can be open without any liquid input. The liquidlevel can be low for all the shelves, since the liquid from a top shelfcan drain to the shelf below. The valves can be close, and liquid can bepumped to the top shelf, for example, from a reservoir, to reach thehigh liquid level. Valve 1222 then can be open. Liquid from the topfirst shelf can drain to the second shelf, raising the liquid level ofthe second shelf to the high level. Valves 1224 and 1226 can be opensequentially, to drain the liquid from the high shelves to the lowshelves. The sequentially draining of the liquid can effectively raisethe liquid level for a short time, before the liquid level returns tothe low level.

FIG. 13 illustrates a flow chart for liquid flow in a vertical stackedhydroponics system according to some embodiments. A water pump can beprovided to pump water to the highest shelf of hydroponics plants. Thewater then can flow sequentially to lower shelves. Operation 1300 flowsliquid to a first shelf to raise the liquid level in the first shelf toa high level. The liquid can be pumped from a reservoir. The high liquidlevel can wet the plant roots in the first shelf. Operation 1310continues to flow liquid for a first period, such as between 2 and 6minutes. Operation 1320 opens a valve connecting a drain outlet of thefirst shelf to a supply inlet of a second shelf, which is immediatelybelow the first shelf. After the liquid in the first shelf is drained tothe second shelf, the liquid in the first shelf can be at low levelstate. The liquid in the second shelf can be at high level state, due tothe liquid flowing from the first shelf. The liquid can stay in thesecond shelf for a second period, such as between 2 and 6 minutes.Operation 1330 drains the liquid in the second shelf to the third shelf.Operation 1340 continues draining the liquid until the bottommost shelf.Operation 1350 drains the liquid from the bottommost shelf to thereservoir.

After a time, the liquid can be pumped from the reservoir to the firstshelf. The time can be calculated so that the low liquid level can bebetween 10 and 25 times the high liquid level. For example, if the highliquid level is between 2 and 6 minutes, then the low liquid level canbe between 20 and 150 minutes. The time waiting between liquid pumpingfrom the reservoir can be the low liquid level time minus the time thatthe liquid travels from the top shelf back to the reservoir. The waitingtime can be between 5 and 135 minutes, or can be between 30 and 70minutes, or can be between 40 and 60 minutes.

In some embodiments, the present invention discloses hydroponics systemsand methods that include swinging the roots of the hydroponics plants.The swing of the plant roots can include the top portion of the roots,e.g., near or including the stem of the plants. The oscillatorymovements of the plant roots can promote the plant growth. The swingingaction can be provided by generating waves in the liquid medium, or byperiodically oscillating the liquid medium. Mechanical oscillation, orfluid movement mechanism such as Venturi effect or siphoning effect canbe used to create waves. For example, by draining the liquid through asiphon mechanism, waves can be generated in the hydroponics container.

In some embodiments, provided are methods and systems for allowing theswing of the roots near the stem of the plants. The plants can besupported at the stem while leaving the roots free to move. Spongesupports, as discussed above, can be suitable for holding the plantswith free movements of the roots, while allowing the plants to grow. Theroot swing can be performed while the roots are completely or partiallysubmerged in the liquid medium. For example, the stem of the plants canbe supported by the sponge support, with the top portion of the rootsexposed to the air ambient and the tip portion of the roots dipped inthe liquid medium. Waves from the liquid medium can swing the roots toenhance plant growth.

In some embodiments, provided are methods and systems for a swingingoperation of the plant roots. The plant roots can be periodically swayto and fro. The swinging period can be between 10 to 150 minutes, suchas between 20 and 100 minutes, or between 40 and 60 minutes. At eachswing action, the plant roots can swing back and forth a few times, suchas less than 20 times, or between 2 and 6 times, or about 4 times.

FIGS. 14A-14C illustrate hydroponics configurations for swinging plantroots according to some embodiments. The plants can be supported at thestem, allowing most of the roots free to move. The support can becompressible, which can allow the plants to grow. In FIG. 14A, ahydroponics container 1460 can contain hydroponics liquid, such as waterwith dissolved nutrients. A plate support 1420 can be disposed on thecontainer. Plants 1410 can be disposed in the plate support, forexample, through the sponge supports 1430. The liquid can be drained outof the container, to obtain a low liquid level 1440. The low liquidlevel can allow the exposure of a portion of roots, together withwetting the tips of the roots. The plant roots can swing back and forth1450, for example, due to the movements of the liquid 1440 or due to themovements of the air surrounding the exposed roots.

In FIG. 14B, liquid movements 1452 can be generated in the liquid 1440,which can cause the roots to swing back and forth. The liquid movementscan be generated by a mechanical mechanism such as a propeller or amoving plate. The liquid movements can be reflected from the walls ofthe container, causing the roots to oscillate in both directions.

In FIG. 14C, liquid movements 1454 can be generated by a draining 1460of the liquid. A siphon tube 1470 can be used as a drain mechanism. Theliquid can be drained out of the container. When the liquid levelreaches the opening of the siphon tube, the siphoning effect can causewaves in the liquid, which then propagate from one side to the oppositeside of the container. The reflection of the waves at the containerwalls can cause the roots to swing back and forth, which can enhance theplant growth.

FIGS. 15A-15C illustrate flow charts for hydroponics roots swingingaccording to some embodiments. A hydroponics system can have a containerhaving a liquid medium disposed within. Hydroponics plants can be placedabove the liquid level so that the plants can absorb liquid nutrientsfrom the liquid.

In FIG. 15A, operation 1500 periodically swings the plant roots. In FIG.15B, operation 1520 periodically oscillates the liquid sideway. Themovements of the liquid can cause the plant roots to oscillate, e.g.,swinging back and forth. In FIG. 15C, operation 1540 periodically drainsthe liquid through a siphon tube. The liquid draining action can causethe plant roots to oscillate, e.g., swinging back and forth.

In some embodiments, the plant roots can oscillate a few times, forexample, between 2 and 10 times or between 3 and 5 times in every 80,60, 40 minutes, or any time between 20 and 100 minutes. Other elementsand components can be added for the operation of the hydroponics system,such as spreading the plants, exposing a portion of the plant roots, andperiodically lowering and raising the liquid level.

FIG. 16 illustrates a hydroponics system having multiple verticalshelves according to some embodiments. Multiple shelves can be stackedin a vertical direction, for example, with one shelf on top of anothershelf. The drain conduit of a higher shelf can have a siphonconfiguration, and can be drained to a lower shelf. When the liquid isdrained from a higher shelf to a lower shelf, the siphoning effect cancause the liquid to generate a few cycles of wave oscillation, which canswing the plant roots to enhance the plant growth. The liquid can besequentially drained, from the topmost shelf to the bottommost shelf. Atany draining shelf, the siphoning effect can cause ripples in thatshelf, which can swing the plant roots. The number of root swinging canbe a function of the length of the container, and the siphon dimensions,which can be between 2 and 10 complete cycles, e.g., 2-10 back and forthroot swinging. The period of the swinging action can be determined bythe period of the pumping action, with every pumping cycle correspondedto a swinging action.

In some embodiments, the present invention discloses hydroponics systemsand methods that include high vertical hydroponics shelf stacking. Lowliquid levels and low light intensities can be used in the production ofhydroponics plants, allowing higher vertical stacking with lighterstructural supports.

The vertical stacking of hydroponics plants can lead to a large amountof plants in a small cultivation chamber. The vertical stackedhydroponics system can be light weight, allowing high stacking densityfor low structural strength. The low weight of the vertical hydroponicssystem can be achieved by the low level of liquid medium, e.g., liquidlevels to wet the tips of the plant roots with a portion of rootsexposed to air. Low liquid levels can reduce the amount of water,leading to lighter hydroponics shelves. The low weight of the verticalhydroponics system can also be achieved by the low light intensity ofthe lightning systems, which can be due to the spreading of the plants.

FIG. 17 illustrates a vertical structure of a hydroponics unit accordingto some embodiments. The hydroponics unit can include cultivationshelves 1 a, 1 b, . . . , 1 l. The uppermost cultivation shelf 1 a caninclude cultivation board, e.g., plate support, 11 a, water supplypassage 13 a and the light source 12 a. Pot to grow the plants areplaced in the cultivation board 11 a, which is placed above the watersupply path. The plant roots can be dipped in the water in the watersupply path. Water supply path 13 a can be an open container, such as agutter in which the water can easily flow. Other cultivation shelves 1b-1 l can be similarly constructed.

Water supply path 13 of two adjacent cultivation shelves can beconnected by a water supply connection path 4, configured so that thewater of water supply path of the upper shelf can flow into the watersupply path of the lower shelf. Valve 3 b is provided in the watersupply connection path 4, which connects the water supply paths 13 a and13 b. Valve 3 b can control the flow of water between the water supplypath 13 a and 13 b. Similarly, valves 3 c˜3 l can be provided to controlthe flow of water between lower cultivation shelves.

Further, valves 3 m and 3 a can be provided to connect a water tank 2between the lowest water supply path 13 l to the highest water supplypath 13 a. A drive mechanism can be used to control valves 3 a˜3 m, forexample, to adjust the amount of water in the water supply passage 13a˜13 l of each stage. A pump can be used to pump water from the watertank 2 to the top cultivation shelf.

FIG. 18 illustrates a diagram showing the control of the valves in thehydroponics unit according to some embodiments. The lines represent thevalve operations, with each line representing a valve of the hydroponicsunit. The horizontal axis represent time. The vertical axis representsthe states of the valves, with upper value showing the valve in openstate and lower value showing the valve in close state.

Normally, the water levels of the cultivation shelves are at low levelstates, with the tips of the plant roots dipped in the water and a topportion of the plant roots from the stems of the plants exposed to airambient. Periodically, the water can be pumped to the cultivationshelves, to bring water levels to the high level states.

To start the pumping action, all valves connecting the pump and thecultivation shelves, e.g., valves 3 a-3 m are open. The water can bepumped from the water tank to the top cultivation shelf, and travels tothe lower shelves back to the water tank. The flow conduction can beconfigured so that there is a high flow to the top shelf, while there ismuch lower flow to the lower shelves. Thus the water level in the topshelf can rise to the high level state, while the water levels in thelower shelves can be at the low water level state.

After the water level in the top shelf reaches the high level state, thewater pump can stop, together with all connection valves except valve 3b, which connects top shelf to the next shelf. The water in the topshelf can drain to the next shelf, reducing the water level from thehigh level state to low level state. Consequently, water level in thenext shelf, e.g., the shelf immediately below the top shelf, can risefrom the low water level state to high level state. The process cancontinue, for example, valve 3 c can be open to allow water to drainfrom the second shelf to the third shelf, followed by opening valve 3 d,. . . , until the water reaches the bottom shelf, and then returns tothe water tank.

In some embodiments, all the valves can be open with the pump runningfor a short time of the water flow time from the second shelf to thethird shelf, e.g., when valve 3 c is open. This can supplement the waterflow from the second shelf to the third shelf, helping the water levelof the third shelf to reach the high level state.

After the valves are open, they can be close to stabilize the waterlevels. The closing time t can be chosen to be sufficiently longer thanthe open time s. For example, s can be less than 1 minute and t can beabout 10 minutes. By choosing s to be much less than t, approximatevalue can be used by ignoring the time s. In some embodiments, the lowlevel state can be 11 times out of 12 times, with the 12th time beingthe high level state.

FIG. 19 illustrates a configuration for plant replacement according tosome embodiments. Cultivation boards 11 x, 11 y, and 11 z show differentdevelopment stages of the target crop plants (FIG. 19a ), and arearranged in order of plant growth. Board 11 z shows more mature plantsthan board 11 y, which shows more mature plants than board 11 x.Further, different plant density can be used in different board. Forexample, board 11 x can accept 30 plants, while board 11 y can accept 4plants, and board 11 z 1 plant.

After the plants in board 11 z can grow to a size that can be shipped,cultivation board 11 z is removed. Board 11 y can be thinned out,leaving the plants with the most rigorous growth. Board 11 y can bemoved to the right, for example, replacing board 11 z. Similarly, board11 x can be thinned out, and moves to the right side. A new board can beplaced at the original place of board 11 x.

In some embodiments, three types of board can be used, 30 plant board, 4plant board, and 1 plant board. Other configurations can also be used,such as 30/6/2 plants, or more than 3 types of board.

In FIG. 19, it is noted that indicator line 14 may be a level, whereinthe fluid is raised to a high water level and indicator line 15 may be alevel wherein the fluid is at a low water level.

With the present hydroponics systems and methods, high plant yield canbe achieved with low consumable costs. For example, 200 g of lettuce canbe harvested from a lettuce seed after 30 days with about 10,000 lux oflight.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for germinating one or more plant seeds,the method comprising: fitting one or more plants into a small foamsupport; fitting the one or more plants in the small foam support into alarge foam support, wherein the large foam support supports the one ormore plants at a stem portion; placing a plate support above a liquidmedium container, wherein the plate support has one or more holes at apredetermined hole density; placing the large foam support, with the oneor more plants and the small foam support, into a respective hole in theplate support such that the large foam support, with the one or moreplants and the small foam support are supported and captive; repeatingthe fitting and placing with additional plants, small foam supports, andlarge foam supports, such that the plate support has a predeterminedfirst total plant density in a first configuration.
 2. The method as inclaim 1, further comprising: repeating the fitting and placing onmultiple plate supports, wherein each plate support has a respectiveliquid medium container.
 3. The method as in claim 2, furthercomprising: configuring the multiple plate supports and the respectiveliquid medium containers such that they are stacked in a verticalconfiguration.
 4. The method as in claim 3, further comprising:partially filling and emptying the uppermost liquid medium containerwith a liquid medium from a liquid medium reservoir, wherein the liquidoscillates upon filling with an oscillating action causing a portion ofone or more roots of the one or more plants to swing, while the plantand stem portion are stationary, to promote plant growth; draining theliquid medium causing liquid oscillations via an oscillating siphondrain, such that the siphon creates a wave in the liquid medium causingthe roots to swing with oscillating action, wherein the liquid mediumdrains to the next lowest liquid medium container, partially filling thenext lowest liquid medium container; repeating the partially filling anddraining until the lowest liquid medium container is partially filled.5. The method as in claim 4, further comprising: draining the liquidmedium from the lowest liquid medium container causing oscillations;pumping the liquid medium to at least one of the following: a liquidmedium reservoir and the uppermost liquid medium container; repeatingthe process of partially filling and draining for all liquid mediumcontainers.
 6. The method as in claim 1, further comprising: thepredetermined first total plant density in the first configuration of arespective plate support is a predetermined density of young plants. 7.The method as in claim 6, further comprising: growing the young plants,such that one or more young plants grow into mature plants, wherein thena second total plant density in the first configuration exists with arespective density of young plants and mature plants on a respectiveplate support in the first configuration.
 8. The method as in claim 7,further comprising: wherein the second total plant density is a higherdensity than the first total plant density.
 9. The method as in claim 7,further comprising: configuring the one or more plants in the firstconfiguration into a second configuration, such that the secondconfiguration has a lower total plant density than the second plantdensity in the first configuration.
 10. The method as in claim 9,further comprising: configuring the second configuration by removing andplacing one or more plants with the respective small and large foamsupports from a respective plate support onto a different plate support,such that the respective plate support and the different plate supporteach have a particular total plant density, young plant density andmature plant density.
 11. The method as in claim 10, further comprising:the total plant density of the first configuration and the total plantdensity of the second configuration is kept constant.
 12. The method asin claim 11, further comprising: wherein the constant total plantdensity minimizes leaf overlap.
 13. The method as in claim 1, furthercomprising: configuring one or more light sources such that the one ormore plants held in the small and large foam supports receive aparticular light intensity.
 14. The method as in claim 13, furthercomprising: setting the light intensity based on the respective plantdensity, wherein the light intensity is based on at least on of thefollowing: a total plant density, a young plant density and a matureplant density.
 15. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:partially filling and draining the liquid medium, wherein the filling isperformed using a pump on a liquid medium from a liquid mediumreservoir, wherein the draining is performed using a siphon drain,wherein the liquid medium oscillates upon filling and draining with anoscillating action causing a portion of one or more roots of the one ormore plants to swing, while the plant and stem portion are stationary,to promote plant growth.
 16. The method as in claim 15, furthercomprising: the liquid medium is a nutrient solution.
 17. The method asin claim 15, further comprising: the portion of the one or more rootsswinging is the top portion of the root.
 18. The method as in claim 15,further comprising: the liquid medium in the container completely wetsthe root when the container is partially filled.
 19. The method as inclaim 1, further comprising: partially filling the liquid mediumcontainer with a liquid medium from a liquid medium reservoir; causingliquid oscillations by draining the liquid medium via an oscillatingsiphon drain, such that the siphon creates a wave in the liquid mediumcausing the roots to swing with oscillating action.
 20. The method as inclaim 19, further comprising: periodically repeating the steps ofpartially filling and draining.